Saints
by MissNinjaWhisker
Summary: Caitlin is a bar tender and one night while walking home, the Saint's come to her rescue. I do not own the Saints, but I do own the original characters. *Comments welcome. Also, this story is being revamped. Stay tuned!*
1. The Night

I don't own the Boondock Saints, however the couple of Original Characters belong to me. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. For those of you lovely people who have been reading it, this has been revised multiple times since I first wrote it. Partly due to the 2nd movie coming out and partly due to my need to keep some cannon. Here's the revised version. Like previously stated, reviews would be greatly appreciated.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" asked Carrie as she tossed on her hoodie, "Those two are pretty drunk."

"They're not as bad as Johnny was last night.

Carrie laughed, "Alright, you got me there, but didn't you open?"

"Aye and now I'm going to close."

"I thought Layla was on the schedule."

"She was. She begged and pleaded for me to take it. Reasons unknown, but it means that I have Monday off. Now, get your ass home. Ewan's got to be waiting for you."

"Alright. Cheers love." She said then grabbed her purse and headed out.

Wiping down the pub, the red head waved as she left. She smiled politely at the last two guys in the pub then started on her closing chores. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she sighed and headed to the table.

"Sorry boys, time to go." She said

"We still got to finish our shots and pitchers." the blonde slurred

"Well that's why I called bottoms up twenty minutes ago loves. Time to go."

"Awe, come on." Said the brunette, "Don't be a bitch. Wait for us to finish."

The smile faded from her face as her emerald green eyes narrowed. Without a word to the boys, she reached across the table and grabbed the shots. Before they could blink she had downed all four of them. "Now boys, there's the door. I'm telling you, not asking."

"You bitch!" yelled the blonde, "What the fuck? We paid for those! You can't do this!"

"Sorry boys. Come back tomorrow and your first round is on me."

Muttering under their breath, the boys made a big scene of having to leave; knocking their chairs over, spilling the remainder of the pitcher and stumbling to the door. Rolling her eyes, she casually strolled behind them, her heels clicking on the hard wood floor. Once they had slammed the door, she locked it behind and started on the closing routine.

As the clock stuck 2, she locked the door to the bar. She wasn't sure what had been worse that night, the exhaustion from the double shift or that every older man had decided that her ass needed to be pinched. With the alley being the quickest way home, Caitlin slipped her keys between her knuckles, put her hand in her hoodie pocket and began the long walk. A cool breeze sent chills down her spin and goose bumps across her flesh. _"Should've worn pants."_ she thought pulling her ruby hair out of the French plait. Humming a tune her mom used to, she quickened her pace when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Hey Peaches!" slurred one of them, "Got a light?"

Gripping the keys tighter, she rolled her eyes to herself. "Tá brón orainn, níl!" ("Sorry, no!") She replied in Gaelic.

"Bitch!" he yelled

Heavy footsteps echoed off the alley walls as they charged forward. Kicking off her heels, Caitlin ran as hard as she could for the exit. Her feet flew out from under her as unfamiliar hands on her back pushed her down. A grotesque popping noise filled her ear while she watched her keys fly across the alley. Cheap whiskey wafted from the man as he grabbed her ankles. Screaming in pain, she struggled while he dragged back towards the middle of the alleyway. Releasing her ankles, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her to her feet. Caitlin struggled to keep weight off her swelling knee. The other man laughed cruelly as he caught his breath. She could have gotten drunk from the fumes coming off both of them.

"Faigh amach ó na dom!" ("Get off of me!") She cried in Gaelic

The dark haired man in front of her slapped her hard across the face before pulling out a switchblade. The one holding her laughed. "SPEAK FUCKING ENGLISH!" he roared

"Téigh trasna ort féin! Cac ar oineach! ("Go fuck yourself! Scumbag!") She swore loudly in Gaelic, earning a right hook to the face.

"Whadda' ya' think "Joe"?" said the man holding her, "This little thing need a little reeducation?"

"I'm thinking you're right, "Joe"." He chuckled

Pushing her forcefully onto her knees, Caitlin swore again in Gaelic. The dark haired "Joe" kneed her in the stomach while he made short work of his belt. Releasing her hair, the man holding her grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her. "Bite down and I'll kill you sweetheart." hissed Joe, forcing her mouth open.

...

"Fuckin' slow down!" bellowed Conner, as the two men bumped into them. "Fuckin' drunks."

Murphy chuckled "You're one to talk."

It had been a long day on the farm and an even longer night combing the streets for the dregs of society. Noah chuckled softly to himself as his boys turned down the alley towards the pub. Pausing to light his cigar, he noticed a faint glitter on the cobblestone road. Bending down he scooped up the keys and rolled them over in his hand once before glancing down the alley. The middle was darker than normal. Slipping the keys into his pocket, he continued to follow his boys. Murphy paused to relief himself while Conner continued on. As Conner tripped over his feet, a loud clatter from the darkest part made all of them stop.

"Cat." said Murphy, glancing at his brother. They starred at each other for a moment before they bust up laughing.

"Boys!" snapped Noah, "Hush!" Silence fell upon the alley. It took Noah less than a second to heart the soft flump of a body hitting the ground. "There's somebody in here."

As if they were a well-oiled machine, all three of them pulled out their lighters and began to search.

"Most likely a drunk." said Conner

Murphy's light went out when he spotted the red hair, "I don't think she's drunk. DA'!"

Rushing to his brother's side, Conner realized that he had tripped on her dress.

"Fuck," whispered Murphy, taking off his shirt, "she's really bad."

The girl shied away when he tried to touch her. "Feicfidh mé tú a mharú." (I'll kill you.) she whimpered. Murphy glanced at his brother before laying the shirt over her naked body. Their eyes said more than words could.

"Boys, I do believe that you need to find those two that ran out of here." he said darkly, "I'll take care of her."

They said nothing and disappeared into the night. Noah turned back to the girl, slipping his pea coat off.

"Táimid ag dul chun cabhrú leat cailín." (We're going to help you lass.)

Laying his coat over her for extra warmth, he carefully rolled her over. Though tears streaked her bruised face, she didn't fight back. Even under the bruises, Noah recognized her.

"Le do thoil saoire dom." (Please leave me.) she cried

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen dear. I'm going to lift you up in a minute and then I'm taking you some place safe."

Her body trembled as she tried to roll away again. Noah put a gentle yet firm hand on her, "I'll do my best not to hurt you love. I promise." She whimpered softly as he picked up her broken body. His stomach churned when he felt her ribs move. "Oh Lass," he whispered, "They'll suffer for what they did."


	2. The Night continued

Layla checked her watched and swore silently to herself. She was almost close to an hour later than she had intended to be, but with any luck Caitlin would still be working on chores. Slowing her pace as she passed an alley near the docks, she watched as two men beat two men already on the ground. Any other night she would've stuck around to help, but not tonight. "Fucking lights burned out every other week." She muttered as she turned down the alley by the pub. Caitlin wasn't outside. Layla sighed and banged on the back entrance. "Catie! Are you still in there?" After several minutes of no answer, Layla dug out her keys and let herself in. The pub was dark. "Shite." she muttered, locking up once more "Guess you're at home." Sliding her hands into her pockets, Layla headed for their flat.

...

The curly haired woman in his arms barely made a peep when the phone rang. Freeing his arm from under her supple body, Mac rolled over and answered.

"Hello." he said, sleep clinging to his voice.

"Mackenzie?"

"Yeah."

"It's Noah McManus."

Mac bolted upright and turned on the lamp. "What can I do for you Noah?"

"The pretty red head that works at the pub…"

"Caitlin. Is she okay?"

"She's just been taken into surgery down here at Saint Anne's. I believe that she could use you here right about now."

"I'll be there in ten." said Mac before hanging up. Gently shaking Stella, she rolled over and smiled at him.

"Are we having another go?" she asked

"I've got a bit of an emergency to tend to. Will you lock up in the morning?"

"Only if you promise me a repeat of tonight later this weekend."

Leaning down, he kissed her. "That's a promise."

...

He found him sitting stiffly in the chapel. A rosary hung from his hands while he silently recited a prayer.

"Noah." He said softly

"She's still in surgery." He said, standing up. "The doctor's haven't been by to tell me anything."

"Thank you for calling me. What happened?"

"I can tell you what I know, but as to what happened you'll have to hear it from her. What I know is that we found her in the alley. She bleeding and scared. Mac…she was naked. Conner found her clothes by tripping over them. Murphy was quick to cover her then they left. I went to pick her up and…she has broken ribs. Somebody went to hell on that little girl. Once I got her here, you could see how bad she was. Arm's broken with a gash running through her tattoo. Her face…hell her body is covered in bruises and her knee was beyond swollen."

"My God." whispered Mac, "Do you believe that they…."

"There's not a doubt in my mind that they did. But again, until you hear it from her, hope for the best yet expect the worst."

"How can we repay you?"

Noah smiled, "Let me hear she knows. However, _you_ brought her here. She must not know that we helped her. Things would be very bad if people found out that "The Saints" were around."

"Done." said Mac, "If you need _anything_, let me know. We're in your debt."

"Join me in a prayer?"

...

He waited in the shadows, watching as the doctor's finished talking and hooking up her machines. He nearly jumped a foot in the air when someone touched his shoulder. Whipping around, ready to attack, he quickly dropped his guard when he saw his father.

"What are you doing here son?" he asked sternly, "Are you two alright? Did something go wrong?"

"Conner's back at the farm. They missed their flight. I…" Murphy glanced over Noah's shoulder, watching as the staff left her room, "Is she going to be alright?"

"She should be fine. I was about to find out what the doctor's told Mac, but all of this I could have told you this at home. Why are you really here?"

He dropped his eyes to the floor, "I know her."

Noah shook his head, "I realize that she's a favorite from the pub…"

"No Da'," he said softly, "I _know_ her. I met her in Boston."

Grabbing his son's arm, Noah pulled him down the hall. "What do you mean you know her?"

"It was four years ago. She had been coming into McGinty's for about two years. I took her home and then she disappeared. We walk into the pub here for the first time and there she is. She doesn't recognize me, but I sure as hell remember her. Her eyes…that smile…"

He studied his son for a moment before letting out a small sigh and releasing his grip on Murphy's arm. "Go home." he said, "I'll you everything I find out when I get there."

Murphy nodded and walked away.

...

Layla woke as the sun warmed her face. Rolling onto her other side, she rubbed her eyes then looked across the room. Caitlin's bed was still empty. Tossing the blanket aside, Layla stumbled through apartment but Caitlin was nowhere to be found.

"Whose bed did you crawl into?" she muttered, flopping onto the couch


	3. Waking up

She woke to the gentle beep of the machines. A pair of warm hands were wrapped around her right hand and what she could only assume was a rosary was pressed into her palm. She took a few moments to take in her surroundings before looking at the person next to her.

"Mac?" she whispered

His head popped up, relief washing over his face. "Catie? Thank God! How are you feeling?"

"Like I got punched in the face. Where am I?"

"St. Anne's. Oh Catie, I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner."

Caitlin scrunched her swollen eyes, "Mac, you didn't…"

"I came down for a smoke. Saw the light was burned out again. Heard the bins clatter and found you bleeding to death. Got you here as quick as I could. Doc's say you're going to be okay. Catie…what happened?"

"We're…we're you alone?"

"Aye."

Caitlin shook her head, "That doesn't sound right. You…you weren't…"

"I was Catie. You've got a pretty nasty concussion love. What do you remember from last night?"

"I closed the pub."

"Where was Carrie?"

"She left. I told her to go home. I ejected the last two and finished closing. I even stayed a little late to do the books. I left…I…I didn't see them 'til they had me on the ground."

"Did they…"

Tears welled up in her eyes, "Aye, but I fought Mac. I fought the whole time."

Mac kissed her hand and stroked her hair as she cried. "I know you did love. I know you did."

Turning her face away, Mac continued to stroke her hair. After a few minutes, she turned back to him. "Please don't tell Layla."

"Darlin' I can't keep this from her. She's going to know you didn't come and one look at you she's going to know something happened."

"Please Mac, not now. I need a few days without her going on a rampage."

"What am I supposed to tell her?"

"Mickey. Just tell her Mickey blew into town and I left with him. A few days go by and I get to the pub before her shift. I've come back lookin' like this before."

He sighed, "Stay with me when they release you and swear to me that you will tell her and I'll do it."

"I promise that I'll tell her, but in my own time. I…I need to process it all first." she sniffled, "You know her and what she'll do. I can't handle that too."

"Alright love. Get some rest. I'm going to go find coffee and I'll be back."

She nodded but said nothing. He kissed her head then left the room; Noah was waiting by the door.

"I'll run with story as long as I can." Said Mac

"Thank you." Said Noah, "Who's Mickey?"

"Her father."

"She's come back looking like that after visiting him?"

Mac grinned a little, "It's not what you think. Mickey's a good man. Caitlin's always had a hard time staying in one place. Her da' blows into town and she takes off with him. Once, after being in town for well over a year, she ended up in Tibet. Her and Mickey have gone on benders and gotten into scrapes. That's what she meant."

"She's a tough one."

"Very, but what happened last night…she's not going to be the same."

...

Carrie was in the middle of setting up when Layla came in. "Morning!" called Carrie

"Is that fuckin' Pikey here?"

She laughed, "Haven't seen her."

"Did she pick anyone up last night?" she called, dropping her stuff behind the bar

"Not that I saw."

Layla's face fell as she tied her up, "She didn't come home."

"She won't be home for several days." said Mac, emerging from the back room

"Fuck me!" exclaimed Carrie, "When did you get here?"

"Twenty minutes ago. You were in the basement."

"So where the hell is she?"

Mac forced a grin, "I came back after closing. She was sittin' here with Mickey."

Layla's shoulders feel and she rolled her eyes, "Bitch didn't bother to say goodbye."

"You can yell at her when she gets home."

"Oh…I will."

...

Sneaking into her room, Murphy his in the shadows watching as she slept. She whimpered softly as he moved closer to her bed, but didn't wake up. From his pocket, he pulled out a broken silver chain; a Tree of Life pendant hanging from it. "I believe this is yours." He whispered, slipping it into her good hand. She moaned softly. Murphy lightly squeezed her hand before leaving again.

...

"You're looking better." Mac said, placing a knapsack on the foot of her bed

Caitlin scoffed, "That's sweet, but no I'm not."

"Your color is better and the swellings gone down."

"I'm still black and blue."

"Those'll fade too. Look at the bright side of things," he said, "You're getting released today."

She forced a weak smile, "Yeah. I get to go home."

"I said released, not home. You're going to say with me for a few more days. Layla believes that you're with Mickey, so you don't have to worry about her yet."

"Have you thought about how you're going to get me in?"

Mac laughed, "Layla is going to be unconscious for a spell. She went on a bender last night."

"Okay." She sighed, "What's in the bag?"

"I thought you could use a change of clothes."

"How'd you get clothes that would fit me?"

"You're "Gotta get the fuck outta here" bag in the office."

She grinned, "Will you help me?"

Mac nodded. Caitlin attempted to give him a full smile, but it hurt her face. He stayed by her side when a nurse returned to remove her IV. Allowing her to use him for support, she hobbled her way to the bathroom. Slowly stripping out of the poorly made hospital gown, she winced in pain. Caitlin took a moment to glance at the roadmap of abuse. She knew Mac was watching, but she didn't really care. Various shades of blacks and blues danced across her cream skin. She could only imagine what lied in store under the bandages around her chest and thighs. Caitlin steadied herself while Mac slid a fresh pair of panties on her. His face flush when he stood upright again; he could barely look at her. "Your…uh…your jeans…"

"My jeans will have to be cut. That's fine. I could get a nurse you know. Though, I don't get the problem. You've changed my nappies before."

Mac starred at her, the faintest trace of a smile on his face. "That was different."

"Yeah…I cried more."

He couldn't help but laugh, "It seems your sense of humor is intact."

"Fuck! Don't know what I'd do if I lost that." She glanced at him in the mirror, "If you're really _that_ uncomfortable go ahead and call the nurse. Or," she said, turning to face him, "you could look at it like this…it's not every day you get to see a fine looking, 22 year old naked…again."

A smile crossed her face as he blushed again, "Thought we weren't going to talk about that…_ever_." He said, leaving the bathroom for a minute to find a pair of scissors.

"Oh come on," she said, when he returned, "Nothing counts on St. Paddy's day. We were both really, _really_ drunk."

"And we're still talking about it." He sighed

"Can we really call it sex? I didn't think going down on each other truly counts. There wasn't any penetration."

He turned a deeper shade of red, "You realize how wrong it? Age difference aside, I'm your boss and I've thought of you like family for years."

"So you're a dirty old man." sighed Caitlin as Mac slid her jeans up, "It was needed that night. You still think of me as family, so no harm. No foul." He nodded but didn't say anything. "I was just trying to lighten the mood Mac. I know what I look like and I know what's going through your head cause I've been thinking the same thing. I've prayed to God asking for answers, but He's not responding right now. I can only assume all this happened for some greater purpose."

After getting her long sleeved shirt on her, Mac lightly cupped her chin, "Let's just go with the fact that you're alive."

She nodded, "You can't see the bandages around my thighs can you?"

"No love."

Hobbling out twenty minutes later, she managed to get herself back on the bed. They sat in silence until the doctor returned with a wheel chair and crutch. While she listened to the doctor go on about follow up care, Mac went to get her prescriptions filled. When he returned, she was situated in the wheel chair, ready to go. He briskly wheeled her to the elevator and no sooner had the doors closed, she climbed out of the chair and leaned on the crutch. "Like a pirate." She joked.

Refusing to sit back in the chair, she slowly followed Mac to his small car. She leaned against it while he rearranged his backseat, but soon they were heading back to his apartment above the pub. Though he didn't say anything to her, she could see him watching her in the rearview mirror. Lying in the back, the pain slowly returning, Caitlin allowed her mind to wander back. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the alley. She wanted to make out their faces, but all she could remember was the pain and the smell of the alcohol. Caitlin's eyes opened when the car came to a halt outside of the pub.

Caitlin sighed as she gazed at his winding staircase. "You had to live on the third floor didn't you?"

"I could carry you."

"I may be in pain and slightly wobbly from drugs, but no."

Going ahead of her, Mac had his couch ready and waiting when she finally finished the ascent to his place. Once she was comfortable, Mac sat on the opposite end. Anger and sadness fought for dominance on Mac's face. "In the alley." he whispered. She nodded. Caitlin knew this was coming. "I was home and I didn't hear you."

"Nobody did."

"There are six of us who live in this building and nobody heard you. This is my fault. I should have walked you home."

"It wouldn't have made a difference. They would have done it to somebody else."

"But they attacked you. You girls are family. I should have put your safety above a date."

"Mac, it's not your fault, so please don't beat yourself up. I'm damaged enough for the two of us."

"But I…"

"Stop." She said, "Like you said…I'm alive. You should go open the bar. Fuck…What am I going to do about a job?"

Mac cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "You'll take it easy and when you're able to, you'll come back to work. Hell, I'll put you in the office."

She smiled, "You know I don't do well sitting around all day. There's a reason I work as a bartender."

"Don't worry about it."

Caitlin nodded slightly as he got up. After he covered her with a blanket, he watched as she nodded off. His anger was overcome by guilt while he watched her sleep. Mac sighed before going about his daily routine.


	4. Facing Layla

Hearing the door close, she opened her eyes and let out a small sigh. She had spent the better part of a week on his couch. A total of 12 days since the attack. Most of the bruises had healed, however between her arm, knee, and ribs, she knew she would still incur the wrath of Layla. What she couldn't figure out was what was going to cause the most yelling; her damaged state or that she had been gone for close to two weeks. With another loud sigh, she forced herself up right. Twenty minutes later, she was standing in his bathroom. Caitlin cursed the entire time. With her left arm in a cast and her right leg in a brace, the 10 foot walk to the bathroom took all of her energy.

Her limp hair fell to the middle of her back. While Mac had been an excellent care taker, she drew the line at sponge baths. The soft curves of her body held little trace of what happened. Finally, she stared at the pale blue cast. Underneath it was a large gauze bandage that covered the 37 stitches. It was the broken arm or stitches that bothered her, she had had both before. It was the fact that the gash went through the intricate knot- work cross tattoo that covered her forearm. Heaving another sigh, she set to work at the long process of making herself presentable.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Carrie, "What happened to you?"

Glancing from the office, Mac watched as Caitlin hobbled in. He set down his pen and joined Carrie.

"Mickey and I got into a bit of tangle. It'll be fine." She lied

"A bit of a tangle?! You're right fucked up." Cried Mac

"Ran into a few blokes who said Da' owed them money. As we well know, Da' makes it a point to never owe anybody. A fight happened. I was laid up. That's why I didn't make it back sooner. How pissed is she?"

"She might forgive you when she sees you."

Caitlin sighed, "I'm sorry Mac, but I don't think I can work for a few weeks. Least not behind the bar."

Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he smiled at her. "You can straighten out the books, love. That'll take a couple take a few weeks. Tonight how about you just stake a table as your own? I'll bring you some food and drinks."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"I bet you haven't heard." Said Carrie, leading Caitlin back to a table.

"Heard what?" she asked, propping up her leg

"Remember those two blokes from about two weeks back? The really thrashed ones. You ejected them from place."

"Aye."

"Their bodies were pulled out of the harbor. They were beaten, and then shot. Cops are fuckin' clueless as to what happened. You didn't off them did you?"

"What?! No. I was busy getting into a fight of my own."

Carried gave her a brief once over before cracking a grin." Shot or pint?"

"Pint."

"Fries with cheese sauce?"

"I really gotta start eating other things…"

Laughing again, Carried headed for the kitchen. Caitlin settled in and waited for her best friend to make an appearance.

"Still no word!" Layla bellowed, barging into the bar nearly two hours later. "No phone call. No email. No letter. If she's not already dead, she will be when she gets back." Mac and Carrie grinned at her. "What?" she asked, "What's with the smiles?"

"Just take this pint to the back table." Said Mac, sliding one to her

With a slight cringe towards him, she did as she was asked. "Here's your drink mate."

"Thanks love." Said Caitlin

Layla's head whipped around. Her green eyes seemed to flare with anger. "You right bloody…Where the fuck have you been? Never mind! I don't want to know. Bitch can't be bothered to keep in contact with me! Fuck you!" she paused when she realized that Caitlin was trying very hard to not laugh out loud. "Fucking Pikey whore! Just go ahead and laugh!"

Deliberately, Caitlin raised her left arm to wipe a tear away, then cover her mouth as Layla continued to rage for a moment.

"And what fresh piece of hell did you get into to do that?"

"Fights with Mickey. I would've been back sooner, but…" Caitlin moved her leg out so Layla could see it, "…I was a bit laid up. That was from a good old, drunken fall."

"You're a right whore. A total bitch. I hate you. And you have to sleep outside."

"I'm sorry I didn't let you know where I was. You know that when Mickey's around, I just sort of go."

Layla sighed, but leaned over and gave her a small hug. "You owe me a damn good story when we get home, but for right now…I'm glad your back. Even if you are damaged. You owe me a damn big tip too." She said before heading back to the crowded bar.

Caitlin smiled, sipping at her pint.

Murphy spotted her almost immediately. Her smile, while seemingly forced, was nice to see. As Conner continued to flirt with the bar tender, Murphy ordered a second pint and walked to her table.

"Buy you a drink?" he asked, holding the pint out

"I got one, but you could have a seat."

"Are you sure?"

Caitlin nodded, "I've been sitting here alone for most of the night. It'd be nice to talk to someone."

Taking a seat, he set the second pint down in the middle of the table. He noticed her tremble slightly, but she didn't turn him away. "That looks rough." He said, glancing at her arm

"Gave as good as got." She joked, "I'm Caitlin."

"Murphy."

"Who's the guy you came in with? The one flirting with Layla."

"My brother Conner."

"Bit of a warning," said Caitlin, "Layla's on a rampage tonight…because of me. Unless your brother wants a pummeling tonight, he should probably stay clear of her."

Murphy laughed, "I think he can handle himself." He took a long drink and lit a smoke. "Why's she mad at you?"

"I have a nasty habit of wandering off for a few days at a time. I always come home, but I get the urge to leave and I do. She hates that about me, but as long as I drop a line, she's normally okay. I didn't this time and she's mad."

"Seems like an odd reason to get mad."

"Not really. We've been friends for the majority of our lives. She's like an older sister. And because of that, she's a tad protective."

Murphy chuckled, "Fair enough. Can I ask what you did to your arm?"

Caitlin gave him a small smile as she reached for the pint he brought, "Now, that's a bit of a story."

"What the hell is this?" asked Layla, tossing a book onto Caitlin's bed.

Groaning, Caitlin opened her eyes, "I've been back for three days. What the fuck are you yelling at me about?" she mumbled. Layla tossed another book. This time it landed on Caitlin's stomach. With a groan, she sat up and looked at what had been tossed on her. To her dismay, it was her Biology and Anatomy books from Harvard Medical.

"What the fuck are those?"

"Text books from Harvard?"

"I read that." snapped Layla, "Why the fuck do you have them? You're names written on the inside of them. When the hell did you go to Boston?"

Caitlin sighed, "It's gonna be one of those weeks is it?" She sat up in bed and glanced at Layla, "Sit. I'm gonna tell you this story once and then I'm leaving for a couple days. I don't want to be around you during the aftermath."

"Aftermath of what?" she asked, sitting

"Those are my books. I attended Harvard about 6 years ago. I was there for about a year then I came home."

Layla's eyes grew wide as a familiar look of remembrance crossed her face. "I'm the reason you came back…my accident."

"Aye. The car accident brought me back. You didn't remember that I had left and I didn't feel like you needed to remember that. And in a few days, you're not going to remember. Curse of a traumatic brain injury."

"I ruined your life."

"You didn't. Family comes first. And while you spend the next couple days thinking you ruined my life, I'm going to leave. I don't have the energy."

"What makes you think I'm going to forget this time?"

Caitlin sighed, "Because we've had this conversation before. You'll wake up in a few days and your brain will reset."

Hey there! Sorry for long delay in posting. I hope you enjoyed this little bit. I will work harder at getting a new chapter posted sooner rather than later. I promise there are good things coming.


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